


First Date

by Peryton



Series: Shielded Heart [2]
Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-27
Updated: 2016-01-27
Packaged: 2018-05-16 12:21:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5828398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Peryton/pseuds/Peryton
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A sequel to Crimson and Cobalt, a BlackHill soulmate AU. Although it's not essential to read in order.<br/>Natasha Romanoff and Maria Hill go on their first date.</p>
            </blockquote>





	First Date

Maria sat in the meeting that had already been going on for far longer than necessary. Of course no one else seemed to think so, usually Fury would be the one making sure all non-essential meetings ended promptly, he wasn’t a fan of the bureaucracy that came with being a director of a large agency like S.H.I.E.L.D. but today he had been far too busy enjoying shooting down other agencies ideas or offers to work together to realise the meeting had run over. Normally Maria wouldn’t mind. However normally she wouldn’t have a date planned with an ex Russian superspy who she hadn’t seen nearly enough of since she had left her solo black ops ways and joined S.H.I.E.L.D., Maria allowed herself a brief smile at the memory of the meeting which caused a few nervous glances and casual shufflings away from the deputy director from the other people at the table. Maria sighed and tried once again to focus on the meeting, she had drifted off again while Fleming was talking about international airspace and how that should still apply to Gods when she noticed Fury’s pointed stare and realised she had been drumming her fingers on the table for the last few minutes.

* * *

 

Natasha was staring at the collection of clothes she had accumulated since joining with S.H.I.E.L.D., most were products of the few missions S.H.I.E.L.D. had deemed her fit to go on. They were still in the process of ‘analysing’ her and making sure she was fully acclimated to S.H.I.E.L.D. and mission ready. All that Natasha could handle, she had been trained to withstand far more invasive interrogation techniques, the only thing that she found annoying was the boredom being without high profile missions brought her. Natasha frowned at her clothes, nothing seemed right, what would -

“Are you trying to levitate those clothes with your mind?” Clint’s teasing voice interrupted her thoughts. 

“What are you doing here?” Natasha replied harshly, annoyed she had been so absorbed in her thoughts she hadn’t heard the archer approach.

“You weren’t around for our usual sparring work out.”

“I thought you’d be tired of me knocking you out by now.”

“Hey, last time I almost… well, there was that moment when I nearly had you pinned, right?” Clint asked, his voice suddenly earnest.

“No.” The spy responded, still staring in her wardrobe.

“Well, damn. Guess I owe Skye fifty bucks after all.”

“You should go give her that then. Capitalism is the crux of your country after all.”

“I feel like your heart just isn’t in these insults today Romanoff. You can’t get rid of me that easily, I know you like my company.” Clint grins at the redhead.

“You are useful in tactical situations. Even though you do insist on having an archaic weapon.”

“Widow, please, you’re making me tear up.” Clint mimed wiping away a tear, after there was still no response from Natasha to his banter he stepped closer to the redhead. “What’s this sudden obsession with your clothes about anyway? Got a hot date?” Natasha’s silence was answer enough for Clint, who immediately flung himself onto the chair and started excitedly babbling. “Who are you going out with? Do I know them? I must know them, you’ve barely been out of S.H.I.E.L.D. except for missions… ohmygosh who is it? Did you ask them out? What are you doing? Give me the details!” Hawkeye practically whined.

“Since when did you become a twelve year old girl?” Natasha asked raising an eyebrow at the archer.

“Since my birthday.” He quipped back grinning at the redhead who rolled her eyes in response.

“It is none of your business who I date.”

“Then I _do_ know them.” Natasha stared down Clint who visibly gulped. “Not that it’s any of my business! I have to go; the pizza should be here by now I have to feed Lucky.

“You shouldn’t feed that dog pizza.” Natasha called after him as the archer made a hasty retreat from her room.

* * *

 

Maria walked into the restaurant and was quickly directed to the table Natasha was seated at, she sat down and immediately began to apologise for causing Natasha to wait for her in the restaurant alone.

“I’m sorry I’m late, meeting overran I swear they have nowhere else to be other than sitting in conference rooms all day pontificating about how they could save the world if only the actual people living in it weren’t around to mess the place up.” Maria chattered nervously without taking a breath, her eyes darting over the surroundings.

Maria told herself she was checking for threats until Natasha’s voice soothed her unknown unease like a blanket smothering fire, wrapping around her and instantly drawing Maria’s attention to the redhead seated opposite her.

“Hi,” Natasha’s face lit up with a smile that caused Maria’s stomach to flutter. “Don’t worry about it, everything okay?”

“Yes.” Maria let out a breath and felt herself relax; the two of them stared at each other for a while, Natasha’s eyes perusing Maria’s face appreciatively.

“You look beautiful by the way.” Maria blurted, “I should have said that before, that dress...” Maria trailed off as she eyed the emerald dress that covered the redhead like a second skin; Natasha crossed her legs drawing Maria’s eyes to the thigh high slit she hadn’t noticed in the dress.

“You were right about S.H.I.E.L.D.’s uniform benefits at least.” Natasha grinned slyly, cocking an eyebrow as she took in the dark blue of Maria’s dress that seemed to make the brilliant blue of her eyes even brighter.

“Oh, is that from a mission?” Maria tried to sound relaxed as she attempted not to think about all the types of jobs someone like Natasha could be sent on that required a dress like _that._

The waiter appeared and the two told him their orders, Natasha ordered a bottle of wine for the two of them, eyes darting to Maria’s to check she was okay with this development. Maria felt the silence stretch between them, causing her palms to start to sweat, something not even heavy enemy gunfire could do to her anymore. She caught Natasha’s gaze throughout the meal and the redhead smiled or arched an eyebrow each time but the awkward silence was only interrupted by the sound of cutlery on the plates or the chime of glasses being returned to the table.

The noise from the tables surrounding them became oppressive, Maria tried to start up more topics of conversation but everything she could think of quickly petered out, leading to more uncomfortable silences, or was hastily discarded when Maria realised it was from information she had due to reading old files on the Black Widow. Natasha’s attention was slipping too, Maria had caught her staring at a group of businessmen sitting by the bar one too many times for it to be a coincidence. Maria sighed, it’s not like she thought it would be easy, but they are soulmates, surely that should count for something? Maybe for normal people, she thought, but she had never been very good with relationships and years of working within the military and government had shaped her into someone who was more at home shooting at aliens than on a candlelit dinner for two.

The waiter finally arrived and cleared their plates in silence, adding to the awkwardness Maria felt. She closed her eyes and pushed down the feelings of regret she could feel rising up. She had practically forced Natasha to join S.H.I.E.L.D. as a way to see if this soulmate thing could work, what would the spy do now? Would she move on? Or stay with S.H.I.E.L.D.? Maria didn’t know which option she found more upsetting. When Maria finally opened her eyes she noticed Natasha staring at her, a confused look on her face. Maria shot the redhead a small regretful smile and the two rose from the table, Natasha glanced back once more at the men at the bar and Maria felt a slither of jealousy coat her insides. As much as it would be a loss for S.H.I.E.L.D. perhaps the Black Widow moving on would be the best thing, Maria didn’t know if she could stand to see Natasha be in a relationship, not when her just showing interest in other people could make her feel like her heart was being squeezed in her chest.  

Once outside the restaurant the two women started walking in an unspoken agreement.

“So I guess I’ll see you at work?” Maria said calmly.

Natasha glanced around them once again to Maria’s annoyance, she was giving the redhead an out she could at least pretend to give Maria her attention while they said their goodbyes after what had been a disastrous date. Maria’s thoughts were broken by Natasha’s fingers tentatively interlocking with her own; Maria looked down in confusion before meeting the redhead’s questioning green eyes.

“I thought maybe we could try something different?” Natasha’s confidence is back with the weight of Maria’s hand on her own and she raises her eyebrow self-assuredly before dragging Maria off into an alley filled with a bustling crowd.

Maria considers trying to get the redhead to release her hand but soon discards the idea once she remembers exactly who it is who is dragging her from stall to stall, darting through the crush of people. Maria soon realises they have found themselves in pop up fair that has had Barton bouncing through the air ducts in excitement for weeks now. Which is not something she would have thought the Black Widow would have had any attraction to.

After what seems like a lot of pointless manoeuvring or Natasha looking for something particular in the fair, which Maria thought was unlikely, Natasha comes to a stop beside a shooting gallery.

“Up for a few rounds Agent Hill?” Natasha asked, turning to face the annoyed brunette. Natasha takes in Maria’s expression and raises an eyebrow, tugging on their still joined hands.

“Care to try your luck ladies?” The stall manager asked eyeing up the two women in dresses.

“I don’t think so.” Maria said stepping away from the stall, finally feeling Natasha’s hand drop from hers. Maria clenched her hand and tried to ignore the distant pang of loss she felt from no longer being connected to the redhead.  

“Come on, I’ll give you some pointers.” The proprietor wheedled, blatantly ogling Natasha.

Maria glared at the man and stepped forward throwing some notes onto the counter before picking up the toy gun and taking aim at the targets. Maria felt Natasha move closer to her and watched her pick up a second gun.

Maria easily hit all the targets on the stall, even while Natasha’s fingers kept grazing Maria’s waist or arms as she shot her targets, causing goosebumps to break out over her exposed skin. Once the targets were all downed Maria turned to glare at the flustered stall manager.

“Wait, let me start them up. Once they get going you’ll be glad of my offer to show you two ladies how to handle those bad boys.” He said as he pressed the button to make the targets weave and duck along the back of the stall.

Maria rolled her eyes and once again hits every target perfectly.

“Good shot.” Natasha murmured close enough to Maria that her breath ghosted over Maria’s skin and the brunette couldn’t hide the shudder it caused.

Maria noticed the stall holder pulling a lever causing the targets to move faster along their tracks, Natasha joined in shooting the targets, the two of them made quick work of knocking the targets down.

A crowd slowly grew watching the two women in evening dresses hit every target the stall could throw at them. Once it was clear the targets couldn’t move any faster after Maria and Natasha had shot them down once again Maria laid down her gun and stepped back from the counter to let the press of bystanders try their luck on the stall.

“Who wants this?” The stall holder asked dejectedly holding up a stuffed Hulk plushie to the women.

Natasha moved to grab the toy but noticed Maria leaving; the redhead ignored the proprietor and the proffered toy, instead following after the confused brunette. Once Maria had stopped in a quieter part of the street Natasha went to move towards Maria but the brunette pulled back, noticing the hurt in the redhead’s eyes when she did so and feeling more frustrated with the situation they were in.

“Maria…?” Natasha asked hesitantly.

“What’s your angle Romanoff?” Maria asked tiredly.

“Only attempting to give you your American good time; food and guns.” Natasha flashed Maria a coy smile but the brunette wasn’t swayed.

“You were checking those guys out at the bar, that’s not generally considered first date etiquette no matter what country’s customs you’re trying to emulate.” Maria said, surprising herself with the calmness of her voice.

“Those undercover agents that were following us until we lost them in the fair you mean?” Maria falters in her step and Natasha matches her pace, turning to face her.

“Is that why we went to the fair?”

“It was a convenient setting which worked out for us, the meal was awkward… but you had fun after right?”

“I thought… never mind.” Maria said bringing her hand up to rub at the headache forming behind her eyes.

Maria jolted when she felt a gentle hand cover her own that took over caressing the skin between her eyes until Maria’s gaze met the bright green of Natasha’s eyes.

“This didn’t really go as I had planned.” Natasha said quietly, trailing the hand on Maria’s forehead to trace the side of her face and jawline.

“You didn’t plan for rogue agents to tail us and a gunfight? Now I’m regretting recommending you for active duty, clearly your preparedness in the field needs work.” Maria responds flippantly, trying to calm the rapid beating of her heart Natasha’s touches are evoking in her.

“Well, that depends on who would be tasked with training me for the field; I hear there’s a deputy director who is really committed to her work.”

“She’s above your clearance level.” Maria replies dryly.

Natasha’s eyes glint in challenge and she pulls Maria down roughly for another kiss, nibbling Maria’s bottom lip gently before pulling back out of reach of Maria’s searching mouth. Maria lets out a quiet, yearning noise and opens her eyes to see Natasha smirking at her.

“Well we’ve done guns, what’s next? Bare knuckle fighting?” Natasha asks.

“If that’s what the superspy desires maybe I could find some around here, I know which of the neighbourhoods the police have reported the most crime levels in. They wanted to borrow Banner for a while, until we told them we wouldn’t foot the bill for any property damage.”

“As fun as beating up some low level criminals sound, that’s not what I desire.” Maria looks at her, gazing into Natasha’s emerald eyes darkened beyond belief.

Maria bent her head to place a teasing kiss on the shorter woman’s lips but she didn’t expect the redhead’s passionate response. Natasha wrapped her arms around Maria’s neck and quickly closed the distance between them sucking on Maria’s lower lip and causing the brunette to let out a low sigh. Maria pulled Natasha closer still, her hands running up and down Natasha’s back, one pausing to cradle her head in an attempt to bring the two of them closer.

“We can’t.” Maria said, trying to catch her breath as she drew back from the redhead.

“Well, not right _here_ maybe.” Natasha purred, “I’m thinking we can make it to my bed in under eight minutes if call in air support. Or if you’re against using work funds for team building exercises seventeen if we flash a S.H.I.E.L.D. ID at the cab driver.”

“Team building?” Maria chuckled, attempting to hold off a moan as Natasha turned her attention to the brunette’s neck, kissing and sucking in a way that Maria knew would cause her to be wearing a high collared shirt tomorrow. “I’m not sure Fury would sanction this sort of team building.”

“You Americans…” Natasha paused to give Maria a sharp bite to her ear lobe causing the brunette to gasp, prompting a smug smile from the spy. “I would get medals for my restraint for not taking you as soon as I caught sight of you in that dress in Russia.” Natasha managed to get out in between her ongoing determination to mark Maria’s neck.

“Strange, I never heard anything about these practices for military decorations.” Maria responded, her voice low and laced with arousal.

Natasha groaned at the sound and quickly found the two of them a taxi, Maria spent most of the journey trying to keep Natasha to keep their interaction PG, the driver already spent too much time looking at them in his rear-view mirror than watching the road. Finally they reached Natasha’s apartment and the redhead enthusiastically pulled Maria from the car and into the building.

The two rushed through Natasha’s door, both too interested in continuing to kiss than making a stealthy entrance. Natasha managed to pull away from Maria long enough to check something on the door, and take in that the windows were still shut before returning to her task of touching as much of Maria as she could.

“I don’t want to rush you.” Natasha said after Maria released the redhead’s mouth.

Maria laughed and took in the situation, Natasha’s hands had practically torn her dress away from her body, it was still draped around her, partially concealing what Natasha wanted but there was no way she’d ever be able to salvage it. For her own part she had Natasha’s gown unzipped and would have it off the spy if it weren’t for the fact that she was pressed up as close to her body as she could be and didn’t want to move, even though she knew logically that that was the only way she could get her hands on more of the spy’s skin.

Maria answered Natasha by steering the redhead towards the open door she presumed was the bedroom, quickly pulling the dress from Natasha as the movement afforded the two of them some distance. Maria’s hands roamed the expanse of the exposed body before her and Natasha let out a soft moan, her head dropping back under Maria’s ministrations.

Once in the bedroom Natasha stepped back and removed her underwear while maintaining eye contact with Maria, she threw the items to the side and grinned at the way the brunette’s eyes darkened as she took in the redhead before her. Natasha stepped back up to Maria and made swift work of removing Maria’s dress and underwear, caressing the bared body before her before turning Maria and pushing her towards the bed.

Natasha stopped once Maria was laid out on her bed; she hovered over the brunette, looking down at her with enough intensity to make Maria squirm. She moved to pull Natasha back down to her but the redhead resisted and gave Maria a sly smile that made Maria’s stomach flip. Natasha bent to kiss the brunette but pulled away all too soon for Maria’s liking, moving slowly down her body, planting teasing kisses as she went. Maria tried to flip the two of them but Natasha gripped her harder with her thighs, making Maria moan as she felt the wetness there rub onto her skin, the redhead smirked and bent back over Maria to leave a long breathless kiss before gripping her wrists and holding them pointedly at her sides.

Natasha spent enough time kissing and teasing Maria’s breasts to have her arching her back and clutching at the sheets in an effort to not try and resume control, the redhead resumed eye contact with Maria and started kissing her way down her stomach, causing Maria to let out a moan at the sight. 

Finally Natasha reached where Maria wanted her the most, Maria clutched at Natasha’s hair, pulling at the red locks as the spy took her apart over and over again until her body was wracked with aftershocks.

Natasha kissed her way back up Maria’s body languorously, ending with a deep, slow kiss before breaking it and propping her head on her hand. All the while Maria was left breathless and staring at Natasha’s bright eyes filled with something she couldn’t define, but was sure her expression would match.

Eventually Maria regained enough control over her limbs to flip Natasha who only grinned at the turn of events and pulled Maria down for another searching kiss, their naked bodies touching everywhere, causing what felt like thousands of tiny electrical surges to tingle across Maria’s skin. Maria finally got to trace the curves that had been driving her mad with want and broke their kiss only to lavish attention on the redhead’s breasts before Natasha pulled her back up, refusing to lose any contact she had with the brunette.

Maria’s hand drifted down, causing Natasha to gasp, Maria couldn’t help her grin at the redhead’s gasp and turned her attention to trying to elicit as much noise as she could from the redhead. When Natasha grew more vocal and her breathy moans signalled she was close Maria broke the kiss and stared into the dark green of her eyes.

Natasha let out a contented sighed and pulled Maria closer towards her, curling around the brunette’s body.

“Aw,” Maria cooed, “Have I worn out the superspy?”

“I just don’t want to be late for work tomorrow. I plan on making a good impression on my boss.” Natasha replied, her lips quirking in a smile.

“Oh believe me, you have.” Maria said trying to feign seriousness as she struggled to keep a wide grin from breaking out across her face.

“Anyway, I figure we nap now then we can fit in round two before work.” Natasha quipped, raising an eyebrow.

Maria laughed, wrapping her arms around the smaller woman. Gradually the two drifted off to sleep, both keeping a firm hold on the other.

**Author's Note:**

> So I doubt there are ‘pop up fairs’ in new York but we have them round where I live-although they’re much more likely to be comprised of hook-a-duck and a few questionable rides that no one sober would want to risk rather than shooting galleys and crowds of people, but fiction and all that.  
> This is my first attempt at writing smut so if it’s cringe I can take it out and leave it more PG, or if people have any constructive comments I would appreciate it.  
> Unsure as to the real difference between M and E, I mean, I don’t think it’s explicit I only really describe kissing and such in detail but if anyone disagrees with the rating I'll change it.


End file.
